Tender Moments
by Forever Free Evergreen
Summary: Formerly known as 'Late Night Forgivings'. A serious of oneshots taking place from near the beginning of book five to who knows when R
1. Late Night Forgivings

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter just a set of his books & DVDs to date, a few of his games & the words below._

_I've decided to combine the related oneshots & just make a collection of them instead. Nothing new but easier to read at least._

_**-*/\*-**_

In a room of the second floor of number twelve Grimauld place, Harry Potter was having a hard time trying to get to sleep. The three reasons as to why were the nightmares that plagued him about the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts; he was kept in the dark about many a thing in which at least he was sure that several included something to do with him; his best friend Ron Weasley was in the bed next to his sound asleep sawing logs with a chainsaw that made more noise than fire kindling.

There had been several moments when Harry was about to finally drift off, but then Ron snored a single yet louder note that brought him straight back to reality. Had he not had a hearing about casting spells underage and in a muggle environment in front of one, despite it being his cousin who was more pig than muggle, Harry would have cast a silencing spell on the motor mouth in the next bed.

As the thought occurred he suddenly wondered if he could do magic in his Godfather's home. Seeing as it was under the _fidelius_ charm, surely not even the Ministry could track the spells cast from under the concealment charm unless of course someone in the ministry was told exactly where he or she was located.

Putting the thought on hold, Harry decided to ask Sirius in the morning the first chance he got. Usually he would have asked Hermione who would have given him a textbook answer as well as advise him about what to do and not do with the information she had just told him but right now both her and Ron were not in his good books at the moment.

Despite both of them apologising and nearly swearing on their magic that they practically knew next to nothing about what the order was doing, even with the help of the twins Extendable Ears, Harry had still not truly forgiven them for not trying to write to him before the dementor fiasco occurred.

It did not hurt much with Ron, ever since the break up because of someone setting up to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, Harry had wisely decided to not give Ron his full trust just in case something else happened to ignite the red head's jealousy of his unwanted fame and wealth although he did not expect something like this to happen.

The real stab wound came from Hermione. Being a muggleborn and the brightest in her year, if not the brightest since one Lily Potter, Harry was sure Hermione would have had the common sense to call him via telephone seeing as he had given her his number at the end of their second year. Unfortunately, despite both his and Ron's influence, Hermione was still a stickler for rules and listening to teachers. So when Dumbledore told her and Ron that they were unable to contact Harry in case their letters were intercepted, Hermione dutifully obeyed and Harry had no idea if she did or did not like it regardless.

When Ron suddenly snored rather loudly, Harry actually felt himself lift right off the mattress when he jumped before quelling the urge to whack the red head with his pillow. After resisting the urge, although it was getting harder to do so each time, Harry resigned himself to a long and loud night when he suddenly heard the door to his and Ron's room open with a soft click followed by it closing just as quickly. Harry did not have time to even find his glasses before he felt someone suddenly crawl under his covers and was now lying beside him. Fortunately, Harry did not need his glasses to see that it was Hermione who had suddenly crawled into his bed; her figure pressing against him and her bushy hair tickling his neck gave it away.

"How in Merlin's beard can you put up with him at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked him as if sneaking into Harry's bed was a common occurrence for her.

"Silencing charm" Harry answered as if it was so obvious. Apparently it was not obvious enough for Hermione as he heard her groan at her stupidity. "I'd cast one on him right now if I knew whether or not we could do magic here without it being registered"

"The _fidelius_ charm is like your invisibility cloak Harry, it only hides you until you give away yourself when you cast a spell and someone sees where it came from" Hermione told him just barely after he finished his sentence. "However, Sirius told me that this place has been charmed so that you _can_ do magic here undetected"

Upon hearing those words, Harry made to turn round to his bedside table to reach his wand only to be stopped by Hermione putting an arm on his shoulder.

"Could you just leave him please?" Hermione asked in a small voice. "It's just so that we can know when he's actually waking up, although anything short of a five course meal is unlikely accomplish that"

Despite seeing the humour in her last sentence, Harry could not help but be confused at what Hermione was going on about until he felt her shaking. It was not until he heard her crying softly that he realised that she was upset.

"Hermione, what's-?" He tried to ask as he wrapped his female friend in his arms as she began weeping into his chest. It took a few minutes for her to calm down enough to explain.

"I'm sorry for not trying to contact you" She wept as she pulled back slightly to look into Harry's eyes knowing that he could see her well enough without his glasses. "I could have called you over the phone, sent letters the muggle way, I could even have tried coming over to see you personally. Instead I just complied with the headmaster's wishes and didn't try to contact you. If you hate me and don't want me as your friend anymore, I'll completely understand as I really deserve it for doing what Professor Dumbledore asked instead of trying to help you, especially after what happened-"

Seeing that Hermione would not shut up until she finished her rant, Harry needed a way to silence the girl long enough to speak as well. There was a problem however, his arms were currently wrapped round her waist and were pinned there by Hermione's arms and he could not tell her to shut up without inadvertently either waking up Ron or someone else. Surprised at his sudden boldness, Harry leaned in and kissed the girl cutting her off mid sentence. The plan worked but for some reason he did not want to pull away.

Hermione meanwhile, was completely shocked that her best friend had just kissed her as her heart rate suddenly went a hundredfold at least. She knew that one day she would be kissing one of them, but she did not know that it would be Harry let alone Harry starting it. Those few thoughts were the only ones to flit through her mind in less than a second before she literally melted into the kiss until he pulled away a few seconds later.

"Now that I have your attention" Harry said although he was mentally shaking his head to keep it on track and not just kiss her again. "I want you to know that, whilst I do resent the fact that you did nothing to try and help me earlier this summer, I do not want to lose you; both as a friend and girlfriend if you want. Ever since I started at Hogwarts, I would not have lived passed my first quiditch match let alone a Hungarian Horntail without your help"

Hermione could have sworn the glow she was giving off was helping her see in the dark after Harry's praise and unasked question. Out of him and Ron, Hermione had definitely seen the possibility of being together with Harry but dared not believe it because she was boring looking and did not play quiditch, like one Cho Chang she thought harry was crushing on.

"Even though we fought in third year, you were still there for me" Harry continued on. "And with the way things are going, I'm going to need you more than ever in the years to come"

Hermione could no longer contain herself and quickly recaptured Harry's lips as if telling him she would stand by his side and be there for him until the end of time itself. Harry apparently got the message as his hands wondered down to the small of her back whilst moving so that she was now pinned between her new boyfriend and the mattress.

They would have gotten more intimate, had Ron not suddenly snore like a hippo huffing in boredom. The two lovers quickly realised what they were doing and reluctantly separated themselves. As Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed and began to stand up, she felt Harry's arms wrap round her chest before pulling her back towards him.

"Don't ever think for a moment that I don't need you, Hermione" Harry whispered in her ear. "I doubt I could get anywhere without you"

Hermione smiled as she turned round in Harry's arms so that she was staring into his emerald orbs once more. "I wouldn't be _anyone_ without you Harry"

After one final kiss, Hermione pulled herself out of Harry's grip and quickly exited the room. Harry waited until he heard the sound of the door clicking shut before collapsing onto his bed as if his whole body had suddenly been struck by the spell Lockhart attempted to heal his arm with. After quickly finding his wand and casting a silencing charm on his other friend, Harry drifted off into a pleasant dream all the while thinking of ways to continue his and Hermione's relationship and knowing that she would be doing just the same; possibly for the next few years knowing her.

_**-*/#\*-**_

_My second HP fic, hope you liked it._

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


	2. Mid Morning Reviews

_Disclaimers on chapter one_

_**-*#*-**_

Harry sighed in relief when he made it to his room. In the span of several hours, he gone to the Ministry for his hearing only to find that the time and venue had changed and just miraculously made it on time before managing to once again dodge the killing curse, figuratively speaking this time, and getting bombarded by the Weasleys and whoever else was in Grimauld place congratulating him when he got back. And it was not even eleven o'clock in the morning yet.

And now, finally, he was able to have a quiet moment to himself and to have a good think on several key moments on the last three hours. Such as why his trial had gone from a simple interview with Madame Bones to a full-fledged court gathering and why Dumbledore seemed to be giving him the silent treatment. And not just because he is the Boy Who Lived, even though that was part of the story.

No sooner had he sat down on his bed did the bedroom door burst open again as Hermione entered and literally tackled him in a hug to rival one of Mrs Weasley's.

"Jeez, Hermione" Harry groaned as he was sent flat on his back as the bushy haired girl buried her face into his neck. "You trying to send me to Madame Pomfrey _before_ Hogwarts starts?"

"Sorry" Hermione mumbled into Harry's neck before pulling back to get a clear look at her boyfriend's features. "I know you heard me say I was relieved that you were cleared of charges downstairs, but nearly all the other times you worried me nearly to death I was at your side and I just felt like-"

Just like what happened several nights ago, Harry captured Hermione's lips with his own before the girl had a sudden nervous breakdown. Almost instantly, Hermione relaxed in Harry's embrace as if she had suddenly been struck with a mood-swing charm.

"You really have to try and stop yourself from going on one of those rants, you know?" He commented when he pulled away from her.

"That's one of the reasons I have you" Hermione countered before becoming more serious. "But seriously, Harry, if it was not for Professor Dumbledore, I really doubt you would have been cleared"

"How do you figure that out?" Harry inquired a bit puzzled by that last bit.

Hermione bit her lip before reply hoping that Harry did not fly off the handle at her when she told him. "Don't take this the wrong way, Harry, but even though you are a great wizard, you're not good in matters like court cases and such. You're sort of a shoot first ask questions later sort of person, most of the time anyways"

"That's one of the reasons I have you" Harry said mimicking Hermione from earlier.

"Prat" She grumbled good naturedly as she slapped his shoulder lightly.

"On the subject of the hearing though" Harry continued becoming serious himself. "Don't you think a full Wizemgamot is a bit overkill for something like this?"

Hermione remained quiet as she thought over Harry's question. She had indeed been thinking about it the moment Harry and Mr Weasley told them in the kitchen about the hearing and could only come up with one reason. They were using it to further their smear campaign against him and Dumbledore, had they lost, and no doubt it would have been in a special addition of the Daily Prophet by the afternoon.

"They were trying to humiliate you in the worse way possible, hoping that having the trial under the Wizemgamot would take you off guard so that they could easily beat you and do who knows what else to you" She answered finally. "But to something like that, it would mean that someone in the ministry…"

"Ordered the dementors to attack me in Little Whining" Harry finished for her realising where she was going with this.

"Do you think they'll try to do something to you at Hogwarts?" Hermione quickly asked seeing the signs of Harry's temper coming to boil and speaking the first thing that came to mind.

Being caught off guard by the sudden question, Harry allowed his temper to simmer down as he looked back over his hearing. He remembered hearing Dumbledore say something about Hogwarts and its staff and pupils were not part of the Ministry's jurisdiction. Although Dumbledore was only pointing that out, the Minister seemed to take it differently as if he had just been offended.

"We'll soon find out" He told her wrapping the bushy haired girl tightly in his arms to assure her.

Hermione frowned slightly. She had known Harry for over four years now and was able to read him like a book, the real Harry Potter not what the books said about him back when she first learned about the wizarding world. Right now, there was something else bothering the teen other than what the Ministry was trying to do to him.

"What's eating you, Harry?" She asked quietly causing Harry to sigh as he remembered once again that his best friend now girlfriend was and still is the smartest witch of their generation.

"Professor Dumbledore seemed to be…I don't know…ignoring me" Harry said unsure as to how to explain things to her. "At the hearing, he didn't once look at me and when it was finished, he left without a single word"

Hermione's curiosity was piqued. Throughout all their previous years, whenever the three of them seemed to hit a dead end, the headmaster was mysteriously nearby and gave them a subtle, if somewhat confusing, hint that would either put them back on track or put them in the right direction. And each time he did so it was in his grandfather's persona as she had decided to dub it.

Now, or rather ever since Voldemorte's return, Dumbledore became even more mysterious and had now gone from treating Harry like a normal student to ignoring him and even trying to isolate him from his friends; and worse herself. Despite finding out something new about the headmaster, Hermione decided to leave that trail of thought on a backburner until she had found out a little more about why he was doing this to her boyfriend before speculating.

"Let's just wait until school starts before we look into that" She suggested after mulling it over a bit knowing it was not the answer Harry would want. "We, or rather you, have just gained a victory over the Ministry and we should be celebrating rather than pondering their next move"

"Hermione, whilst I agree with you, I'd rather not go back down there right now" Harry said somewhat tiredly causing Hermione to smile coyly.

"Who said anything about going back downstairs?" She asked causing Harry's eyebrows to disappear into his fringe before leaning down and capturing his lips with her own again.

"You know, James and lily didn't do anything like this until their seventh year" The voice of Sirius Black noted from the doorway to the room.

Both teens separated with a start when they realised that the door to the room had been open this whole time allowing anyone to see them being intimate with each other. Getting off the bed in what seemed like record time, Harry actually found himself glaring at his godfather who was leaning against the frame of the door whilst Hermione, who was still sitting on the bed, was looking down so that no one could see her beet red face.

"Whilst I apologies deeply for interrupting your…_discussion_. I'm here to tell you that Molly wants you two downstairs for a celebratory lunch before you get back to purging my once proud home" Sirius informed them putting as much sarcasm as he could into the last few words. "And as Harry's godfather, I'd advise you to brush up on locking and silencing charms for later rendezvous and discussions"

That last statement even had Harry blushing at its meaning whilst Hermione quickly fled the room towards her own room before she died of embarrassment.

"You do know Hermione's the smartest witch in my year, right?" Harry asked Sirius as he walked over to where his godfather was standing.

"And the prettiest, well to you at least" Sirius corrected himself. "You should be fortunate I came up instead of Ron"

Harry inwardly winced when he realised this was another problem he and Hermione had to worry about. If the way Ron acted at the Yule ball last year was any indication, the red head had some feelings for Hermione. He was actually thankful that Mrs Weasley had kept them busy scourging the house and barely leaving them enough energy for anything afterwards.

"Was my mother scary at any point?" Harry asked out of the blue.

"Only when properly aggravated, which was easy for me and James" Sirius admitted wondering where Harry was going with this.

"Then you better watch your back" Harry advised before leaving his confused godfather alone.

It was only when Harry had disappeared down the stairs did the knut drop and Sirius realised what, or rather who, his godson was talking about.

_**-*#*-**_

_Review if possible & 'til next time_

_Watch this space & peace out!_


End file.
